after installing a household commode on the HB, (replaced a straight drop), so now I want to add a charcoal in line vent filter from my holding tank. My question is the present 1 1/2 inch vent pipe, that's a rigged mount. no movement or play in this line. Would I be able to make the coupling with those rubber type clamps that are secured much like a hose clamp. IM looking to get a little wiggle room when putting the (homemade charcoal in line filter) in place?

Endurance

05-02-2014, 08:53 AM

You have it exactly right. You will ask the plumbing supply counter (or the Home Depot guy who's doing his best to understand plumbing) for a no-hub fitting. They come in two flavors. One is just the rubber connector and two clamps. A better kind has a stainless steel stiffening sleeve in the middle that connects the two clamps. The stainless kind is required by building codes in a lot of on-land settings. Either will work for you since you won't be seeing a code inspector in your boat. I think that I would use two no-hub connectors rather than gluing the charcoal filter. You will want to replace it once in a while.

As an alternative to a charcoal filter, you might consider just extending your vent stack higher. Mine terminated about two inches above my roof and had a nasty smell. That was a problem since on the roof is a favorite place to sleep for most of us on my boat. I used a few fittings and extended the vent stack alongside one of the legs of my party top. I am confident it still smells bad, but I don't care since I would have to climb up on my party top to smell it. Problem solved!

dalehollow

05-02-2014, 02:29 PM

Ours is out the side of the hull

Bamby

05-02-2014, 03:35 PM

I've seen some posted good looking homemade sewage vent filters and it actually seems easy enough to me at least. :rolleyes: Anyway there is one potential problem you could or may encounter "pump-out". I encountered this reference to the topic:

A potential danger of traditional vent line filters is that your holding tank could collapse when being pumped out. This happens because as the waste in your holding tank is removed, air must enter the holding tank. The way the air comes in is through the vent line.

Since the air needs to go through the filter, it is not able to come in as quickly as the pump is removing stuff from the tank. This causes the pressure to become unbalanced and the holding tank will collapse. Itís as if you were to suck the air out of a plastic pop bottle. When you suck the air out you decrease the pressure inside of the bottle, causing it to collapse.

To reduce this possibility by including a special by-pass valve to effectively "turn off" the filter so that you can empty the holding tank with no chance of collapse due to filter restriction.

This also should be easy enough to provide provisions for. Now a question? You have venting out the side of your hull. Is there going to be any chance effluent could somehow make it's way to the filter and make a nasty mess that you'd haft to then deal with?

dalehollow

05-02-2014, 09:26 PM

Well there is a chance I could let it over flow into the filter . Much like there is a chance I could run out of fuel. As a HB er several issues when IM about the boat, Are always mentally gone over. I do like the heads up on a the suction issue when pumping out. I will look into that also. Good point

OLD HOUSEBOATER

05-03-2014, 02:49 PM

You don't have to worry about a suction issue with a household toilet. If you ever get that much suction it will just empty your bowl.

GoVols

05-06-2014, 06:54 AM

My Raritan toilets gurgle while I'm pumping out. Is that normal? I know the tank is vented too.

easttnboater

05-06-2014, 09:24 AM

I think it is "normal". You could argue that if your system was set up and functioning perfectly, then it would not happen. Air has to go into the tank to replace what is being pumped out. If it is easier for the air to come through the toilet, then that is what will happen.

billgate

03-13-2015, 05:55 AM

As an alternative to a charcoal filter, you might consider just extending your vent stack higher. Mine terminated about two inches above my roof and had a nasty smell. That was a problem since on the roof is a favorite place to sleep for most of us on my boat. I used a few fittings and extended the vent stack alongside one of the legs of my party top. I am confident it still smells bad, but I don't care since I would have to climb up on my party top to smell it. Problem solved!

Sooner Fan in Branson

08-17-2015, 03:21 PM

I've never posted before, but after the issues I had when I bought my boat from a gentleman who apparently wasn't concerned about the smell from the top of the boat or the dock neighbors around him, I had to reply. First thing was my awesome neighbor Dave suggesting that I start using Kronen septic treatment and not to flush anything that can kill working bacteria, and after a little while the smell got somewhat better. Last thing was after hours of research I decided to buy a unit from OdorHog which was extremely easy to mount on top of my boat. It doesn't look bad and completely got rid of our odor problem. I know that I will have to eventually replace the charcoal in it, but I don't about puke every time someone flushes the toilet.